Archive for the ‘Real American Girls’ Category

Here’s a fun craft idea of Martha Stewart.  No sew apron, Have young crafters attach designs made of washable felt and rickrack to kid-size canvas aprons with fabric glue. An ornament doubles as a pocket (glue bottom and sides), the perfect place to stash a cookie for on-the-job nibbling.  Hey girls, these will make a cute gift for moms in mommy’s size.

My recent trip to Costco I came across American Girl Gate and it’s Showtime.   These are illustrated scenes.  The “Gate – Now boarding”  includes a fold out airplane scene, doll travel ideas book, and cool doll size travel gear.  The Showtime – Spotlight stage includes theater scene, star ideas book and theater accessories.  Theses scenes folds for easy storage.  They retail at Costco for $44.99.  I think these are cool and makes a nice gift.

Backpacks and Lunch packs on sale now!

A variety of backpacks and lunch packs for your girl.  Great for back to school.

American Girl is giving away to 20 lucky winners the girl of the year doll, McKenna and paperback book (Ready to Fly, and Take the Challenge! ).  You must enter by August 31, 2012.  You must register to enter and then take the challenge.  Click to ENTER for a a chance to win.   For Official detailed Rules.

Good Luck girls!

Great ready girls for McKenna Shoots for the Stars! movie set to air on July 14th  NBC 8pm/7pm central or pick up your DVD Combo at American Girl or Walmart available July 3rd.   Here’s a sneak peak.

American Girl is schedule to release their new Historical Doll this September.  They have released her name,  Caroline Abbott.  As of today we have no clue what she looks like or what she is passionate about.  I guess we will wait for clues to come.   I wonder which historical doll are they planning to archive of their new release.

Here are some fun handmade gift ideas for Mom.

Fun Mother’s Day Trivia

• First Mother’s day – May 10, 1908 was founded by Anna Jarvis, in hopes to fulfill her mother’s wish.  She and her friends and supporters began a letter-writing campaign to establish a national holiday in celebration of the importance of motherhood.
• President Woodrow Wilson made an official announcement proclaiming Mother’s Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.
• Mother’s day is celebrated internationally
• Kittens are born both blind and deaf, but the vibration of their mother’s purring is a physical signal that the kittens can feel – it acts like a homing device, signaling them to nurse.
• A mother giraffe often gives birth while standing, so the new born’s first experience outside the womb is a 1.8-meter (6-foot) drop.
• Just like people, mother chimpanzees often develop lifelong relationships with their offspring.

Earth Day is celebrated around the world and this year the date is set for Sunday, April 22^nd and although some cities start their festivals and or rallies weeks before.    Earth Day was founded back in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, and then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and more than a billion people around the globe participate.   Earth Day is not just a day for celebrating but a day for promoting awareness of growing pollution within our water, air, and soil.  To promote respect for all forms of life on our beautiful and precious planet.   Everyone can pitch in one way or another.

Here are just a few things one can contribute for a safer planet.

• Turn off tap water while brushing your teeth
• Repair any leaking faucets
• Turn off lights and TV when leaving a room
• Try to walk, ride bikes, skateboard if possible  ( This also promotes great health)
• Use public transportation if possible
• Don’t litter, if you do come across garbage pick it up and dispose at nearest garbage can
• Gather your friends and family for a day of picking up litter like at a park, recreational place, beaches, etc…
• Recycle bottles, cans, paper, magazine – That one can that a person throws out  every day in a garbage can rather than recycle,  is 365 cans that person has polluted our soil and precious Earth in a year.
• Unplug your appliances, phone or game chargers when not in use.  Did you know these accounts for about at least 10% of household energy?

Mckenna is here!   American Girl Doll of the year 2012  Mckenna, a fourth grader who is a passionate gymnast and like some girls struggles with reading.  Her story how she uses her strength as a gymnast to succeed in challenges she faces with reading.

Mckenna has long, caramel-colored hair and blue eyes.  She comes dressed in a sporty striped dress with flutter sleeves, a dropped waist, and a pleated skirt, teal leggings that stretch for the splits! Strap slide-on shoes,purple cotton underwear and a  hairband to sweep her hair back during gymnastics practice.

Her Starter collection includes the above plus

• McKenna’s Accessories: a gym bag; mini Fantastic Gymnastics book; gym ID card; three faux dollars; a pretend water bottle and healthy snack; a poetry journal, book report, and letter of congratulations; and a special necklace from her grandmother.
• McKenna’s Practice Wardrobe: a sleeveless leotard; twist-front sweater; team tee and velour shorts; ankle brace for extra support; plus a headband, four hairbands, six purple elastics, and a fun hairstyle card with step-by-step instructions for a braided ponytail!
• Exclusive! McKenna’s Warm-Up Outfit: A sporty zip-up sweatshirt and pair of pants she can toss on over her leotard, plus a pair of sneakers and two orange hairbands.
• Two paperback books, McKenna and McKenna: Ready to Fly!

Available at American Girl

While visiting Costco this past week I found that they are selling Madame Alexander 18 inch dolls “Alexander Girlz”  which sells for $29.99.   Although, if you shop online on Costco website the exact dolls are sold for a higher price at $37.99     If you are looking for the alternative of  American Girl doll price tag but an upgrade in quality from My Generation doll here’s an option to consider….

These dolls are attractive, the hair is rooted and they each come with a couple of outfits and accessories.

dolls are attractive, hair is rooted,

Denise Lewis Patrick  is the author of American Girl newest Historical Dolls Cécile Rey and Marie-Grace Gardner.   In her six book series, set in 1850s New Orleans, Ms. Patrick writes about two girls that form a unique bond through their shared love for music and their compassion to help their community during the yellow fever epidemic.   Ms. Patrick recently interview by American Girl,  enjoy the Q&A’s:

What did you do to prepare to write Cécile’s stories?

The first thing I did was to read about what New Orleans was like at the time her stories take place. What did the city look like? How did the different people live together? What kinds of work did free people of color do, and where did they live in the city? I found answers to these questions in books, drawings, old newspapers, and in the

narratives, or diaries, of real people who lived in the 1850s. Next, I read about yellow fever, and how that terrible disease affected everyone who lived in the city. I imagined that people must have felt in many ways the same as they did after Hurricane Katrina, or after 9/11 in New York. I decided that I wanted Cécile’s stories to show how something so big touched and changed the lives of real, normal people. But the most important thing I did was to go back and walk the streets of New Orleans, to smell the history in the old buildings and see the wonderful cast iron rails. New Orleans is more than a place to me. It’s a feeling.

What were the most challenging aspects of writing the Cécile books?

I believe the most challenging aspect of writing these books was deciding what to leave out of Cécile’s story! Almost immediately, I began to imagine this lively, smart girl and the family she came from. In my own family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are very important, and cousins are, too! I even created a family tree for the Rey family, with details such as what Papa’s mother did (she made hats), and how Cécile’s parents met (their fathers were friends). “Building” a life for the Rey family helped me to know Cécile as well as I know any real person.

How would you describe Cécile’s personality?

In my mind, Cécile Amelie Rey is bright, curious, and has a mischievous sense of humor. She loves secrets, of course, and also enjoys learning new things and meeting new people. She’s not quite a “girly-girl,” because unlike most girls of her time, she hates sitting still and being quiet!

How would you describe Cécile’s circumstances in the story?

I would say that she’s a child who grows up fast, because she has to face some very serious events in her family and community. She also outgrows the kind of sheltered life she’s had before, in becoming friends with Marie-Grace and actively helping children who are less fortunate.

Were any of Cécile’s stories based on your own or your family’s personal experiences?

My father and my New Orleans relatives used nicknames for us, the same way her family does. Food is very important to my family, as it is to the Reys — especially when we’re celebrating anything. But on the other hand, maybe Cécile herself is a bit like I was as a girl: always listening to the grownups talk, and always asking questions!

What did you discover about New Orleans in writing the Cécile books?

What I discovered about New Orleans as I was writing these books is that there’s even more to love about this city.

What do you hope girls will learn from Cécile?

I hope that girls learn from Cécile that sometimes, true friendship finds you even when — or especially when — you’re not looking for it. It comes when you need it. She discovers an ability that all girls have — to bravely open their hearts to a bigger world than the one they’ve known.

One lucky winner will receive this cool peace diary with lock and key and Peace Love Recycle Water Bottle.

• Peace Party Diary with Lock  girl’s just love!   180 color pages with printed peace signs.

Sparkling colorful peace signs on the cover. Includes lock and key.

• Peace Love Recycle Water Bottle -Your girl can help the environment in style !   Ditch the plastic
  bottles for these sleek aluminum   water bottles with carabiner clip for
  easy carrying.      Moms love them cause it’s cost effective no more
  buying water bottles!       Hand wash.       17 oz. (500ml)

Total Retail Value $31.99

How to enter:

Just simply leave a comment here and you can increase your chances by visiting our facebook fan page click on like and leave a comment.   Also, you can post on your website but make sure to link back to us to get credit for comment.      Deadline September 18th 2011 midnight.  One lucky Winner will be chosen by random.org and announce on September 19th.

Arianna & Monique Coleman

Thursday, August 11, 2011  I had the pleasure to escort my daughter Arianna to the United Nations in New York City.   She attended as a delegate for the U.N. International Year Of Youth Culmination Celebration.  Arianna was chosen based on her essay on gender equality, there were 192 delegates ranging from tween to teens ages 11 thru 24 years old.    It was a day of inspiring stories from amazing girls and young women from across the U.S. and around the world.

The event was hosted by the beautiful Monique Coleman which many of you might remember her as Taylor McKessie in the movie High School Musical.

Monique was appointed the first ever United Nation Youth Champion at the UN headquarters in New York City last November.  She has raise awareness on youth issues, encourage young people to use their ability to foster progress in their communities and urge the international community to take responsibility on youth issues. She has visited 26 countries in the last six months.  Monique is also the founder & CEO of GimmeMo, a site she has dedicated to empowering youth and bringing awareness about real issues affecting tween and teens and to spotlight Hollywood’s commitment to giving back.

Arianna & Caroline Sunshine (Tinka)

Arianna & Olivia Bouler

Keynote speaker such as Farah Pandith, Begoña Lasagabaster Olazabal, Moira Forbes, Gina Otto, Ann Shoket, and more just to name a few were truly uplifting and many young girls share their amazing and inspiring stories on how they contributed to a positive world.

The most uplifting story came from a young women by the name of Vivian Thakhuli moved me literally in tears.   She lost her mom when she was 11 years old to aids, no father and the responsibility to raise her 13 siblings.   With difficult challenges that she had endured with the help of The Tomorrow Trust, Vivian an educated young woman and an advocate for empowerment of young girls.

Along with Monique Coleman, let’s not forget the founder and CEO of AllyKatzz, Denise Restuari who created a platform for tween and teens to speak out and together change the world for the better. Denise has created a safe online format where young girls can express and communicate their positive views.

Meet young inspiring tween and teens who have made a difference and touched so many lives.  After the UN, the girls headed over in a chartered bus  to the French Institute Alliance Francaise where the celebration began.  The girls enjoyed a  fun lunch, fun games and activities.   Arianna and the girls helped filled backpacks for girls in need around the globe, filling them with items such as notebooks, sharpies, soaps, towels and much more that were generously donated by sponsors.

WATCH THE EVENT!!!

There is an upcoming American Girl movie scheduled to start shooting on July 11th at Winnepeg, Canada.   Starring Nia Varadalo, (some might remember her from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and newcomer Jade Pettyjohn who will play the role of Velma, a strong- willed gymnast with Olympic aspirations whose plans evaporates when she is sidelined by an injury.    Varadalo will play Velma’s mom, the film is planned for  DVD.

The production company are looking for extras in the following:

Female Gymnast between ages 9 -12

Male  and Female urban skateboarders between ages 11-13

Males and Females between ages  8 and into their 60’s

Extras are needed to play students, gymnast, gymnastic spectators, nature  enthusiasts , hikers, horse back riders and street pedestrians.

Extras will be paid $11/hr meal and snacks will be provided.

If you would like to be part of this production and willing to work 1 to 3 days between July 11th and Aug 5th,  register at http://www.extrascastingproductions.com/

More Info on http://www.onlocationvacations.com/2011/06/23/casting-for-american-girl-underway-in-winnepeg/comment-page-1/

Animal Print Purse Bank great gifts for girls like tween. Your girl will love saving her money in this beautiful animal print purse bank.  A great room decor piece.   Makes a great present for the girly animal print lover! Available in 3 styles:

* Black Dot Print
* Leopard Print
* Zebra Print

Measures  appx 4 1/4″ W x 5 1/4″ H x 2 1/4″ D

Available at My Pink Planet

For me the best gifts are the handmade ones from my daughter.  I treasure them and display them proudly.  Here  are some cool HANDMADE gift ideas that your mom will appreciate.  Gifts from the heart are always the best!

Mother’s Day Newspaper – How sweet to bring your Mom great news to read on Mother’s day with your customized newspaper.    Martha Stewart supplies clip art.  made by printing and filling in our clip art.

Photo-Transfer Tote Bag – A wonderful lasting treasure gift and practical for Mom.

Mom I love you because…. Tote Bag – Another lasting treasure gift!

Dreamy Eye Mask – A fun spa gift

Mom Rules Clip Art -  Here are some fun clip arts to create cards, tags, boxes and more!

Blossoming Brooch Pin – These are great and fashionable with the current fabric flowers on clothes.

Coupon Book for Mom -  A great way to set up dates and and outings with your Mom.

Stamped Paper or Cloth Tablecloth -  I love this! Personalized tablecloth, be creative use your own rubber stamp theme.  Not only will you creative a conversation piece but it will be a lasting (cloth) treasure.

Girls, never forget your precious moments and adventure with these fabulous colorful and vibrant diaries. 

Make a heart felt friendship card for lasting memories your BFF will treasure.

Considering throwing a tea Party with friends and your doll?   Here are some great tea sets to consider.

Tea Sets for your 18 inch doll

Tea Sets for Girls

Cool Recipes for your Tea Party

Flower Cupcake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix 1 cup boiling water 1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed Few drops food coloring, any color 24 JET-PUFFED Marshmallows 24 JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows 1/4 cup colored sugar or colored sprinkles Make It
PREPARE and bake cake batter as directed on package for 24 cupcakes; cool completely in pan. Pierce cupcakes with wooden skewer or large fork at 1/4-inch intervals. Add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Spoon over cupcakes, adding about 2 tsp. to each. Refrigerate 3 hours.

TINT COOL WHIP with food coloring; spread onto cupcakes.

CUT each large marshmallow crosswise into 5 pieces with clean kitchen shears. Arrange 5 on top of each cupcake to resemble flower. Place 1 miniature marshmallow in center of each. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Cucumber Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

Makes 10 small open-faced sandwiches

1 large cucumber

2-3 tomatoes

5 slices pumpernickel bread

Soft cream cheese

Chopped fresh dill

Salt and Pepper

With adult supervision, carefully cut the cucumber and tomato into thin slices. Cut the pumpernickel

slices in half. Mix the cream cheese with chopped dill to taste. Spread the cream cheese on bread.

Top with cucumber and tomato slice. Garnish with chopped dill, salt and pepper.

Here’s a great way to recycle a mini heart box from Valentine’s day.  Use a small Valentine candy box to make this cute backpack for your 18 inch doll.

You need:

• Empty Valentine Candy Box (about 6″)
• Low Temp Glue Gun
• Scissors
• 15″ scrap of fabric (fleece will work the best since it is stretchy, the ends don’t fray and it is thick enough to cover without seeing through)
• 12″ of Cotton Batting
• Red vinyl tape
• Four pipe cleaners
• Tacky tacky glue ( Arianna and I swear on Fabric Tac we find that it works best for most projects)
  
• Marker

Instructions:

Some boxes will work better than others. The box we used had plastic molded edges that fit nicely together. Boxes with cardboard edges will not work as well.

With the box closed, put a piece or red tape along one edge. This should work like a hinge so the  box opens sideways.

Lay box on batting and trace around the outside. Do this two times and cut out both pieces. Lay box on the wrong side of the fabric and trace around. Remove the box, and draw another line 1/4″ around the outside of the line. Cut out on the outer line. Do this again so you have two pieces. Cut two pieces of fleece 1″ by 9″ for the straps

Glue batting to the box top and box bottom with a thin coat of tacky glue. Center fleece on top and glue in place, folding edges around the lip of the box and hot gluing. On the side that will be the back, glue straps to the inside of the box lip. See photo at right for positioning. Glue pipe cleaners around the box lip on both sides to hide excess glue and raw edges.

Thanks to Making friends for sharing this great craft.   Girls share your creations, email us your photo of completed backpack.  Happy crafting!

Did you know that Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar?    Chinese year 4709 begins on Feb. 3, 2011,  new year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to clean their home thoroughly fro top to bottom.  It is believe doing so, will ward off any bad luck in the future and rid of any bad luck from the previous year.    The cleaning must be completed by New Year’s eve and ready to receive good luck in the coming year.

Chinese New Year is a time for family, many travel a distance to unite, serving big dinners and celebrate with their family.    Giving good luck gifts is another tradition.   Adults hand out to children little red envelopes “hong bao” filled with money.  This symbolizes wealth and prosperity for the coming year.   Colors of Luck is Red and Gold and it is taboo to wear black and white during the holiday.

It is believe in China, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year.   Twelve  animals came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality.  This year is the year of the rabbit, according to Buddha those born in rabbit years are popular, compassionate, and sincere.

Great site to visit for free Chinese New year cards and  Chinese New Year Red Envelope Card, have fun!

Peggy of  Doll clothes Pattern has emailed us this puzzle game.   It’s pretty cool you can play with friends and see who complete their puzzle first, there’s a built in timer to each puzzle.    Visit Peggy’s site, she offers free doll patterns for your American Girl doll.

Here’s another great find!  What a fun project and an addition for your American Girl doll room.

Use pictures from online of your favorite videos and TV shows to make this TV and accessories for 18″ doll.

You need:

• • Kids Craft glue

Styrofoam Packing Scraps Purple, Neon Green, Pink and Yellow craft foam


• Paint Pens or Markers
• Scissors

Instructions for Making the TV:

Ask an adult to cut a chunk of Styrofoam with a serrated knife. You can make the TV almost any size. Ours is 3″ x 3″ x 5-1/2″. Carefully measure and cut purple craft foam to fit on all sides but the front. Glue in place. Cut a piece of neon green for the front with an opening for a picture. Go to your favorite celebrity web site and print a picture for your TV screen. Trim it down and glue to the back of the craft foam piece. Glue to Styrofoam. Let dry. Decorate with punch outs and draw on a design.

Instructions for Making the VCR:

Ask an adult to cut a chunk of Styrofoam with a serrated knife. Our VCR measures is 1″ x 2″ x 3″. Carefully measure and cut pink craft foam to fit on all sides but the front. Glue in place. Cut a piece of yellow for the front. Glue to Styrofoam. Let dry. Decorate with punch outs and foam scraps and draw on a design.

Instructions for Making the Videos:

Go to Blockbuster.com and print out your favorite video covers. Trim the pictures down. Ask an adult to cut pieces of Styrofoam with a serrated knife to fit the pictures.  Color the Styrofoam black on all sides but the front. Glue on the covers.

I love this ice cream cone made of colorful clay. Imagine what other yummy desserts you can make for your doll with alittle tender rub.

Every year for Valentine my daughter and I have tons of fun making unique funny Valentine cards.  We embellished them and create funny stories with each card we make.    So she asked one day,  Who invented Valentine Day?   Hmmmm ????      To me Valentine day was a reds and pinks, chocolates, fun loving cards, romantic dinners, flowers, tons of kisses for my daughter and husband, romantic comedies, you get the picture.    Well, I was clueless of the saint part.  Was there such a saint named St. Valentine or was it just just a name for a loving day, a loving month? 

 Well, I did some research and found  many legends.   Here are just  a couple:

 St. Valentine was a  priest in Rome during the third century.  Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than married soldiers with families, he  to outlaw young men to marry.    Valentine believed this was an injustice and continued to preform marriages to young lovers.    When Claudius learned of Valentine secret marriages, he ordered Valentine to be put to death.

It was believed that Valentine actually sent the first “Valentine” while in prison.  Valentine fell in love with a young girl, who was his jail-or’s daughter.  She had visited him during his confinement and before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. 

Again, these are supposedly legends from so many that I came across.  I must say from most of the legends I have read, Valentine seemed to be a romantic, sympathetic and heroic figure.  

Valentine’s Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600–1601):

To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn’d his clothes,
And dupp’d the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.

—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

American Girl® Celebrates their 25 year anniversary.   For me it seems they debuted not so long ago.   I remember when when friends daughter and niece where so excited to get their first doll Samantha.  Today many of these girls have passed their dolls to their daughter.     So what is American Girl® doing to celebrate?  They have just launched a cruise for Nov. 19th – 26th 2011 which they claim ” once-in-a-lifetime experience”  for the entire family, the American Girl 25th Birthday Cruise!

Sounds exciting!  I wonder why they decide to offer Thanksgiving week or are they just testing the waters to see if this would be a potential family getaway in the future for Spring and Summer months.   Listening to some moms I hear a mixed bags of feed backs.   Some think this cruise is too expensive while others think it’s monetary comparable to other cruises.  Checking their site, some of the stateroom are already booked.     The ship departs from Miami, Fla and sails to the following ports; Puerto Rico, St. Marteen, and St. Kitts.   Here’s a link for more detailed information  http://www.americangirl.com/cruise/.   So what do you think?

Forget about your winter blahs.   Here are 10 ideas to help make your winter fun.

1.  Make a craft, let your creative side flow.

• Snowy Handprint http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=2224
• Snowflake Tee http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=2199
• No Sew Pillowcase skirt http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=1718
• Handbag for your American Girl Doll http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=1410
• Cool Printouts for your doll http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=1373
• Eco Friendly Purse http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=1527

2. Make a yummy chocolate dessert. 

• Chocolate lava cake   http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=2172
• Bring the summer indooe with this fun snorkel cake http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com/?p=1595

3. Have a party with your American Girl Doll.  Create a winter adventure.

4. Play a game board with the family.  There are so many great board games especially the classic such as monopoly, scrabble, life etc….

5.  Make personal pizza with the family.  Everyone can create their pizza by adding their favorite topping.

6.   Watch a movie with the family.  Make popcorn and fun treats.

7.  Snow games -

• Snowman and or igloo competition
• Hike in the snow
• Sledding
• Frisbee

8.  Scrapbook – Here’s a great time to gather all those pictures laying around or sitting on your hard drive.   Have hours of fun, perfect to reminisce with the family while scrap booking.   Makes some hot cocoa with marshmallow to enhance the warm surrounding.

9.  Read a great book.   This is a perfect time to catch up with a book you have been wanting to read.

10. Have an indoor hawaiian luau -  Get your shades, leis hats,  anything tropical out and decorate.  Play family limbo, make virgin pina coladas, have some beach/pool music playing.  Arianna and her cousins did this one year and they had a blast.  
Many of the decoartions were handmade from contruction paper and foam color paper.   Movies were also played like Wizard of Waverly the movie.    Why not get GOTY Kanani book and incorparte her story.

Here’s another fun project for you real American girls on thoses indoor winter blues afternoon.

Material
Permanent marker
Paper
Cardboard
White cotton shirt
Tacky glue
Sponge brush (or a new kitchen sponge)
Fabric paint
Instructions:
Use a permanent marker to draw a thick-lined snowflake template on the paper, or download ours here.

Place the template over the cardboard and slip both inside the shirt, centering them behind the upper front of the garment. You should be able to see the template through the shirt.

Using a thin line of tacky glue (about 1/4-inch wide), trace the snowflake design onto the shirt. Let it dry for 10 minutes, then fill in any gaps with additional glue. Let the glue dry completely, until it is transparent (approximately 3 hours).

Dip the sponge brush in the paint and dab around the snowflake, completely covering the surrounding area. Use less paint toward the outer edge of the design. Let the paint dry overnight.

Soak the tee in warm water for about 10 minutes or until the glue softens. Peel off the glue and let the shirt dry, then follow the package instructions to set the fabric paint.

You can make a matching tee for your American Girl doll just scale your design down.

Start tracking Santa simply by clicking on the link by Christmas  eve.      http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track3d.html

  Merry Christmas!!!!   Don’t forget to leave Santa milk and cookies and carrots for the reindeer’s

Here are some beautiful jewelry for your 18 inch American Girl Doll and Bitty baby.  They make a beautiful stocking stuffer gift.   Click on one of the images and checkout our other doll jewelry.

Girls, did you get your letters out to santa yet???   Here’s his direct address:

Santa Claus

One Santa Claus Lane

North Pole,  Alaska  99705 

Hey girls, here are some fun slumber party ideas that Arianna and and her friends have shared:

• - Mad libs  – a must!
• -Exchanging hairdos with the girls and American Girl Dolls
• -Nailpolish
• -Watch I carly show
• -A great comedy movie
• - Great music
• -Sleeping bags
• -Make your own pizza
• -Ice Cream Sundaes
• -Decorate & Personalize Pillowcase

A definite must a toothbrush and pajamas.

Here are some beautiful fun costumes for Real American Girls that Mom and daughter can make together. Click on each pic for how to.

My Pink Planet now offers $6.99 flat rate shipping on all orders.    Check out the great doll outfits, accessories and furniture to fit your American Girl and Bitty Baby doll.   There’s great items in the Girly Boutique from Toddler to Tween.

Back to School Items:

Rock n Roll Plaid

• Submit your artwork of you and your favorite doll enjoying your summer.
• You can use crayons, markers, colored pencils, glitter,  etc.
• The artwork must be created by you
• No photocopies accepted
• Deadline: all entries must be recieved no later than midnight, September 3rd, 2010
• Artwork may be mailed or submitted via email
• 2 winners will be announced on September 10, 2010 here on our blog, bookmark this date.
• Your artwork must include your first name, age, state, and email address
• If submitting via email, mail@mypinkplanet.com
• If submitting via mail:  My Pink Planet, LLC  122 Millbrook Road, Hardwick, NJ 07825 

How to enter:

In a month or so,  my daughter Arianna will be starting Middle School like many other Tweens .  It’s a new beginning of more responsibilities and challenges for your Tween.  As middle school can be exciting  for many Tweens, it can also be intimidating and scary for others.  On the bright side, Middle School can also offer many benefits, opportunities and enchrichments to your daughter’s life and as loving moms we can help our daughters  adjust into the transition. 

Ok, well let’s start simply by having discussions now before school starts, it will help ease any aniexty that she might have.  I am sure your tween will have lots of questions regarding the types of changes she might occur during the first few weeks of school.

Here are just some topics:

• Having numerous teachers, from just a homeroom teacher
• Changing classes during periods
• Increase homework
• Getting a locker and personalizing on the inside
• Making new friends
• Peer pressure.

Share with your daughter the opportunities of clubs and organizations that might best interest her.  Let your darling Tween know the independence and responsibility that comes with being a preteen.   Encourage her to explore all the possibilities of what her school has to offer her and for her to take an interest to join.

Most importantly, let her know how much you love her and that you were a tween too.   Give her with tons of encouragment and ALWAYS keep the communications open at all times between you and your daughter, a Tween.

Listen up Real American Girl, here’s a fun project perfect for those rainy days. Transform a pillowcase into a sassy skirt or make a cover up for the beach or pool. Many of us have lots of pillow cases we do not use or if you check your department store clearance, or even Marshalls’ you be surprised what you find. Another idea, if you come across a plain pillowcase, you can tie dye or use fabric markers or paints.
Consider cases that are not see through, but look for ones with decorative edges to unveil a striking hem. If you can find one with decorative hem, check out your mom’s trim but remember to ask her first. One last tip, if the pillowcase is new, you might to pre wash to avoid any shrinkage. Have a blast!

Materials Needed:

Pillowcase
Yardstick
Tailors’ chalk or a pencil
Scissors
Small paintbrush
Washable fabric glue (available at craft stores; we used Fabri-Tac glue)
Clear nail polish
Safety pin
45-inch cotton drawstring

Instructions

1. Decide on the length (one way is to measure the length of a skirt your child likes). Add 1 1/2 inches for a casing to that measurement. Use that total to measure from the open edge of the pillowcase (which will be the hem) and use tailor’s chalk or a pencil and a yardstick to mark a straight line across the case. Cut along the line. Discard the closed end of the pillowcase. Turn the skirt piece inside out.

2. Iron (adult supervision recommended) down 1/2 inch along the cut edge.  

3. Along the same edge, iron down an additional 1 inch.  

4. Place cardboard under the pillowcase to protect the ironing board from potential glue spills. Lift the casing and use a small brush to apply washable fabric glue

5.  At the center front of the casing, apply a line of clear nail polish (supervise younger kids). Let it dry and reapply.

6. When the second coat is dry, cut a slit for the drawstring. Be sure to go through just 1 layer of fabric, and stay within the boundaries of the polish. 

7. Attach a safety pin to one end of the drawstring and feed it through the casing. Knot the ends of the drawstring, and the skirt’s ready to wear.

Email us your pics, we love to see your finished art!

Hi Girls!  I would like to invite you all to visit my friend, Amiko.  She is a terrific young girl who pens a blog called ”My unfastened Diary” , the diary of being a girl.    She has great ideas and stories she would like to share with you all.    So give her a visit and don’t forget to drop her a line, she would love to hear from you.     http://myunfasteneddiary.blogspot.com/

Hey Girls!  I recieved an email from American Girl, they are planning a big debut for girls and their doll.  Starting Tuesday, July 13th for the summer.  Girls can learn about American Girl’s all-new virtual world—created just for girls and their dolls!  It’s free and open to the public, for girls ages 8 and up and yes there’s AC, lol!

 Event details by store

• Atlanta: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17
• Boston: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17
• Chicago: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17; September 3, 7, 10, 24
• Dallas: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17
• Denver: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17
• Los Angeles: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
• Minneapolis: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17
• New York: July 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10, 17

For more special events

It’s early July already it feels like those hot August days.  Our temperatures this past week has been over 100 degrees.  We hit a record high of 108 degrees.   What’s a mom to do?  Luckily we have a regional pool in the area and we have been staying cool by going to the pool everyday this week.     We got some bit of a break today with today’s temp at 96. Lol   

 My daughter and niece loves a bowl of ice cream and ice cubes.    I love to make a pitcher of freshly squeeze lemonade.

Here are some ideas of staying cool

Drink plenty of water, it’s important to keep your body hydrated.

Apply sunscreen

Dress in light color clothing, preferably light weight cotton

Hats and caps

Shades

Pool

Water sprinkler

Water balloons

Popsicle

Cold salads

Shaded trees

Umbrellas

Playing in the shade

Indoor play

Malls

Movie theatres

Bowling alley

Library

 Share with us , what do you do to stay cool in these extreme high temperatures?

And they say the best way to a man’s heart it’s through his belly. Your dad is going to love his cake, especially made by you.  Get creative and design your own with colors and patterns.  You can omit the tie and create a crew collar with dad’s favorite t shirt.   Real American Girls, let your creativity flow.

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/happy-fathers-day-cake-685897/

Items Needed:

• 9 x 12 x 2 inch pan
• cake it can be store bought or home made from scratch or a mix
• pastel icing the color of dad’s favorite shirt
• a cardboard shirt box from the dry cleaner or recycle gift box
• wax paper
• tissue paper
• White paper for making a shirt collar into cuffs
• dark frosting for the tie
• candy

Don’t forget to send us your pics, we would love to see your creations!

With father’s day just around the corner.  Here’s a are two great ideas you can make for your dad.    We will start with this adorable puppy pencil holder

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/happy-fathers-day-cake-685897/
What you will need to make this adorable pup

• 4 pinch style wooden clothes pins
• wood glue
• felt
• googly eyes
• a pom pom
• a marker
• a pencil

Don’t forget to email us your pics, we would love to see your creations.

  http://family.go.com/video/snorkeler-cake-611906-v

Here’s a great summer cake for real american girls to bake and enjoy with your family and friends!

• 2 baked 9-inch round cakes
• 2 to 3 cups chocolate icing
• Hershey’s Kisses
• 2 green LifeSavers Gummies
• 2 blue M&Ms
• 1 piece red shoestring licorice
• 1 orange gumdrop
• New snorkel and diving mask, washed with soap and water

Instructions

1. Layer and frost the cakes.
2. Unwrap the Kisses and place them around the top for hair.
3. Add the LifeSavers and M&Ms for eyes, a licorice mouth, and a gumdrop nose.
4. Remove or unfasten the strap on the diving mask, then place it over the face and lay the snorkel next to the cake.

Hey Real American Girls out there, check out these cool cord bracelets.  What a fun project!  You can make yourself a bracelet and a matching one for your doll!   Now keep in mind that these materials listed below are American Girl Crafts™  available at Michael’s, a great craft store but I guess you can substitute for other brands.  Or, see what supplies you have at home.  Have fun!  Don’t forget to send us a pic of your fabulous creations.

Supplies Needed

STEP 1

Choose a color from the Colored Cotton Cording and ask an adult to help you cut 22-inches to 28-inches of cord. The more knots you make in your bracelet, the more cord you’ll need.

 STEP 2

Choose a large bead from the Painted Beads. This will be your toggle bead. A toggle is part of the closure to a bracelet.

STEP 3

Fold the length of cord in half. Tie a knot in the folded end to form a loop. Make sure the loop is large enough to fit over the toggle bead.

 STEP 4

Begin stringing whatever beads or charms you like onto either strand of the cord, tying both strands together into one knot after each bead. 

 STEP 5

When the bracelet fits around your wrist, string the toggle bead over one of the cords. Ask an adult to help you tie both cords together in a double-knot above the toggle bead.

  STEP 6

Pull the toggle through the loop. Let your style shine!

 STEP 7

Note: Use Colorful Beads and Charm Beads to make the red and yellow cord bracelets. Use Painted Beads and Charm Beads to make the purple and green cord bracelets.

Tip

Make bracelets for friends or members of your sports team using team colors.

Here’s a great product created by a mom and daughter team. Roberta Wagner is President of Carry-Her®, Inc. She and her 9 year old daughter, Emily designed “Carry Her”  (patent pending) a hands free doll carrier. Perfect for your 18 inch American Girl doll. Now you can have your doll piggy back with you in this lightweight doll carrier.   Carry-Her® includes doll carrier backpack to fit your 16″-18″ doll and Carry-Her® Mini.  The Mini will hold your folded up full size backpack.  The mini can be worn by your doll or tossed in mom’s purse for easy storage while not in use.  Both the Carry-Her® backpack and the mini, are made with a plush, black micro suede fabric and it’s made in the USA!  You can visit their site Carry-Her®

 Kudos to Roberta & Emily!!!!

My golden  retriever Daisy came home the other night smelling awful, she had been sprayed by a skunk.  Poor thing , we had to put her in the garage overnight.  The next morning my plan was to go to the store and get something to remove the odor.  Unfortunately, I had a serviceman coming that day but when exactly I did not know.  You know the deal, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.    Daisy had to go out and do her  business, so I let her go out.   Within ten minutes, my doorbell rang and it was a courageous jogger.  Poor fella, with one hand pinching his nose and Daisy at his side.   Daisy, suffering from lack of companionship, decided to chum up and jog with a nearby jogger.   Luckily, not only was he courageous and she had her dog tag on with her address, she was returned home. 

While waiting for the service man and Daisy back in the garage.  I had done some research online and found a recipe that really works!

2 quarts of  3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/2 cup of baking soda

2 tsp of Dawn liquid soap ( Dawn works great with oil, it breaks down the natural oil release from the skunk spray).

2 quarts of beer (Beer has live cultures, which helps penetrate the resistant oils in skunk spray and a dog’s water resistant undercoat and skin).

2 tbsp of vanilla (Vanilla will penetrate in your dog’s coat for a beautiful smelling dog).

Once you have mixed all the ingredients in a large container or pail.    Hose your dog to get his or her fur saturated.   Start applying the mixture, I used a large sponge and work into the coat.   Be careful NOT  to get the mixture in your dog’s eyes, nostrils, ears or mouth.   Work up a good lather.   Let the mixture soak in your dog’s coat (the longer the better the results).  Rinse the mixture completely off.   Groom and Viola!

Now Daisy,  her sister Petunia and the Grewal’s are one happy family.

Here a just a couple of cool printouts for your doll.  

  I want to thank Yukiro-san for these amazing printouts.  Arianna and I had so much with them.   Visit their website at  http://agdollplace.webs.com/ for more printouts.

There is a cool website called www.Allykatzz.com You could write blogs, polls, upload pics, fill in profiles and more!  They even have all kinds of contests!  It’s a great way to make new friends too.  You can send shout-outs to people about what’s going on on your page, like if there is going to be a contest.  There is an ad page where you can even make an ad about what’s going on.  You can find out what is going on too at the ad page.  It’s a safe site, my mom approved it for me. Look out for arianna224, that’s me, Arianna!

My friends at Tip Junkie,  Today’s Creative Blog, Skip to My Lou, and SITSgirls,  are celebrating their new community at BlogFrog. In lieu of the celebration they are hosting a Spring Fling Grand Prize Giveaway.   They will be hosting a giveaway,  every hour on all four blogs mentioned above, on April 13th from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm (CST).  An entire day of free prizes.  An amazing total of over $6,000 worth of products given away in one day!   My Pink planet will be participating, a lucky winner will win our beautiful doll pram valued at $129.99.

So don’t forget to mark your calendar for April 13th and visit our friends listed above and you might just be one of the lucky winners!

On Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will once again cascade around the globe, from New Zealand to Hawaii.  On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour.

You can make a statement, simply by flipping off your lights on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America.

This event led by World Wildlife Fund in which millions of people around the world will unite by turning out their lights for one hour to make a bold statement of concern about our planet and climate change.  Earth Hour started three years ago in Sydney, Australia and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Nearly one billion people from 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents participated last year and, with your help, Earth Hour 2010 can be even bigger.

During Earth Hour, international landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Great Pyramids have gone dark alongside the city skylines of Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and more.    

Anyone can participate, this is our 3rd year of participation.  My family and I play board games in the candlelight and just have a great time conversing and laughing.  This year we hope the skies are clear and plan on watching the stars and planets with our telescope.   Are you planning in participating?  If so, let us know what you did during earth hour 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftC5QcxqYps&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk6SCRo7CvA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvd55TdNgz4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-eIh4my6U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-c3GxL5ZgE&feature=related

Enjoy, have fun girls!

I came across this great article from PBS Parents.  I knew that I had to share it with all you moms and tweens.   

How do you raise a powerful girl and what does that mean?

Powerful girls grow up feeling secure in themselves. They learn to take action, making positive choices about their own lives and doing positive things for others. They think critically about the world around them. They express their feelings and acknowledge the feelings and thoughts of others in caring ways. Powerful girls feel good about themselves and grow up with a “can-do” attitude. Of course, strong girls may (like all of us) have times of insecurity and self-doubt, but these feelings aren’t paralyzing because the girls have learned to work through their problems. Powerful girls will grow up to lead full, valuable lives.

Here are some of our experts’ ideas to help you raise powerful daughters.

Encourage your daughter to pursue a passion.
“Full engagement with an activity she loves will give her the opportunity to master challenges, which will boost her self-esteem and resilience and affirm intrinsic values rather than appearance,” says Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out. “Having a passion lets her go shoot baskets or play an instrument, for example, instead of being swept up in online drama.”

Let her have a voice in making decisions.
“Whenever possible, let her make constructive choices about her life. Let her choose her own clothes, within appropriate limits. Give her a voice in what after-school activities she participates in and how many she wants to do (as long as it works for the rest of the family, too). Remember that knowing what she cares about most will come from trying some things and finding she doesn’t like them, as well as from finding things she loves to do,” recommends Jane Katch, Ed.D., author of They Don’t Like Me. “Your daughter might need to make a commitment for a short time for an activity (one soccer season) but when that’s over, it’s okay to try something different!”

Identify the values most important to your family.
“Consider the ways you convey these values, especially by example. What are the moments in your daily life when you can model the values you want your daughter to learn?” asks Simmons. “What traits and strengths do you want your daughter to develop as she grows?” asks Meg White, M.A. “See if these qualities are reflected in how you parent.”

Encourage her to solve issues on her own rather than fixing things for her.
“When parents take over, girls don’t develop the coping skills they need to handle situations on their own. Ask your daughter to consider three strategies she might use to deal with a situation, and then ask her about the possible outcomes. Let her decide what she wants to do (within reason). Even if you disagree with her choice, you give your daughter a sense of control over her life and show her that she is responsible for her decisions,” says Simmons.

Encourage her to take physical risks.
“Girls who avoid risks have poorer self-esteem than girls who can and do face challenges,” says JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., author of Girls Will Be Girls. “Urge your daughter to go beyond her comfort zone — for example, encourage a girl who’s scared to ride her bike downhill to find just a small hill to conquer first.” Catherine Steiner-Adair, Ed.D., co-author of Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program to Advance Girl Power, Health and Leadership, agrees. “It’s important to help even non-athletic girls develop some physical competence and confidence when they’re young. Whether it’s through team or individual sports, girls need to form a physical relationship with their body that builds confidence.”

Get girls working together.
“Girls who work cooperatively in school or who problem-solve together do much better in taking large risks or facing challenges. These girls report an incredible sense of accomplishment and feeling of competence, both of which give a huge boost to self-esteem,” says Deak. “Encourage your daughter to participate in team-building activities or join organizations that rely on teamwork.”

Let your daughter know you love her because of who she is, not because of what she weighs or how she looks.
“Encourage your girl to eat in healthy ways, but don’t over-obsess over what she eats. Listen to her opinions (about food, and other things) and show appreciation for her uniqueness, to help her develop herself into the person she wants to be,” says Steiner-Adair. “Comment on the way she carries herself into a room or the ideas she is expressing before commenting on her looks. She needs you to know her insides and validate the developing person within, as well as noticing her emerging young womanhood,” adds White.

Allow her to disagree with you and get angry.
“Raising a powerful girl means living with one. She must be able to stand up to you and be heard, so she can learn to do the same with classmates, teachers, a boyfriend, or future bosses,” says White. Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D., and Sharon Lamb, Ed.D., co-authors of Packaging Girlhood, write, “Girls need guidance about how to stay clear in their disagreements, and they need support for not giving up their convictions to maintain a false harmony. Help girls to make considered choices about how to express their feelings, and to whom.” Steiner-Adair notes that “Not all girls will want to do this, especially shy girls, but you can still help them develop the skills.”

Address girl fighting when you see it.
“Talk with girls about relational violence (such as gossip, rumor-spreading and exclusion) as well as physical violence (hitting or fighting). But don’t assume all girls are mean, and avoid saying ‘girls will be girls’ when you witness girls engaging in exclusive cliques and clubs. Instead, affirm girls’ relational strengths and sense of fairness, help them identify and hold on to their strong feelings, like anger, and encourage them to practice more direct, positive ways to effect change in their relationships,” says Brown.

Make regular time to listen to your girl.
“By creating consistent, predictable times when she knows that you are receptive and available to listen — like riding in a car, taking a walk, or just sitting reading — you will eventually be let into her inner world. Let her use you as a sounding board to sort out what she is going through, without solving problems for her. The answers that come from within her are the ones she will eventually live by,” says White.

Listen more than you talk.
“When we talk to girls, they often experience it as us talking at them, and they not only stop listening, they stop thinking and reflecting. But when we listen to them, they have to think about what they are saying, and they tend to reflect more. And we need to keep an open dialogue — we can’t dismiss their chatter about ups and downs of friendship as trivial, and then expect them to talk to us about the important stuff,” says Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., co-author of Mom, They’re Teasing Me.

Limit your daughter’s exposure to the media and popular culture when she is young.
“This will give her more time to develop her own ideas, creativity, and imagination from her direct first-hand experience. As she grows, media messages will start to get in, so having rules and routines from the start can help your daughter control her own experiences as she gets older,” says Diane Levin, Ph.D, author of So Sexy So Soon.

Help her process the messages in the media.
“Help her avoid the narrow focus on appearance and consumerism that often dominates the media. By helping your daughter process the messages she sees on the screen and develop her own ideas about them, you can prepare her to better resist the media’s pervasive stereotypes,” says Levin. “Help her notice the bigger picture — for example, how looking like her latest teen idol can be fun but also connects her with a lot of other stuff she might not have noticed or thought about. Wonder aloud about more general patterns you see, like how all those little purses hanging from everything might make it seem that all girls, even three-year-olds, are into shopping,” add Brown and Lamb.

Talk with her about the differences between sex in the movies and loving relationships in real life.
“It’s important to talk with your daughter about sex and sexuality in ways appropriate to her age and your values,” says Levin. “As she gets older it becomes increasingly important to help your daughter understand the difference between sexualized images in the media and healthy sexuality. Through give-and-take discussion, you can help her begin to understand the difference between the media’s presentation of sex and sexiness. You can talk about how sex is frequently portrayed without love, intimacy or emotion, or as part of caring relationships. When your daughter is old enough, you can begin to discuss what a mature, healthy, loving relationship — in which sex is a part — is all about.”

Acknowledge her struggles but keep a sense of perspective.
“We have to acknowledge the pain our daughters are experiencing, so they feel heard and accepted and empathized with. But we also need to put it into perspective, to stay calm and listen to what they are experiencing without projecting our own experiences onto theirs. Your daughter is having a different experience than you did, even if there are surface similarities,” says Cohen. “After all, she has something you didn’t have: you.”

Enjoy her!
“Having a powerful girl can be exciting and energizing. Find activities you both enjoy and do them regularly together. Maybe you both like cooking or having breakfast together, hiking or reading books,” says Katch. “Try to keep this connection as she gets older — if times ever get tough, you’ll appreciate this special bond you share!”

 We enjoyed reading all the great essays. The huge responses and overwhelming feedback has been fabulous.   The love and passion that you Real American Girls share with your pets are touching  and wonderful.  Now for the moment many have been waiting for.   Here are the winners of the “Why My Pet is The Best In The World” Contest.

 Angie Walker  Age 6  Indianapolis, IN

My kitty is the best kitty in the world because he loves me.  My kitty’s name is  Mr. Wiggles.  He is cute and soft like a marshmellow.  He licks me and sleeps with me and keeps me cozy at night and also follows me everywhere.  I love Mr. Wiggles and he loves me too! 

Alexa Morante  Age 9  NewYork, NY

My dog is the best pet in the world because she is playful.  For example, she will play with me and their is no fuss.  She obeys each and every command.  She is loving and adorable.  She is a sweetheart and she enjoys human life.    Lia is the best dog in the world because her ability’s are amazing!    But most of all my dog is the best in the world because she loves me and I love her to.  Priceless!

  Jordan Langworthy  Age 11

My horse, Rain is a Missouri Fox Trotter and the sweetest horse in the world.  He is very gentle and friendly, and loves children. Even my 5 year old  brother can ride when my mom leads!
He is a 6 year old gelding, and is very attentive, however he tends to be  really jumpy sometimes!
He is a Tri-Color horse, meaning that he has three colors. His colors are Tan, Black and White. Oh, and I saved the best reason for last;  Why My Pet is the Best in the World, is because he is my very best friend, the one who understands me. He’ll always be there to listen and look at me with those big brown eyes, to be happy or just to sympathize. I love him so much!

We thank you Real American Girls for your participation.  Remember to contact us to claim your prize.  Stay tune for our next contest and giveaway.  Share this blog with your friends and family. 

This year’s Chinese New Year, celebrate the year of the dragon.   Here’s a cool red chinese outfit perfect for your 18 inch doll. 

What is Chinese new year about?   

Chinese New Year is a holiday that celebrates the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar. It is considered to be one of the most important holidays for Chinese families.   Family gathering, gift giving, symbolic foods, and beautiful colorful  festive decorations.   In China the celebration last for a month.   Some chinese traditions for Chinese New Year are:

1. Clean house from top to bottom.  It is believe doing so, will ward off any bad luck in the future and rid of any bad luck from the previous year.    The cleaning must be completed by New Year’s eve and ready to recieve good luck in the coming year.

2. Decorating the house .  Families hang up posters and signs on doors and windows with the word “FU” written on them.     Fu means luck and happiness.   Flowers is also another favorites and symbolizes the coming of spring, a new beginning.   

3.  Family gathering at the table.   On New Year’s eve, family visits are common and having a huge dinner.   They serve about 8 or nine dishes, partly beacuse of their lucky numbers.   The Chinese word for 8 is “baat”  prosperity and fortune.   nine = longlasting, often used for weddings.

4. Giving good luck gifts is another tradition.   Adults hand out to children little red envelopes “hong bao” filled with money.  This symbolizes wealth and prosperity for the coming year.   

5. Red and gold are lucky colors.  Black and white are never worn on Chinese New Year, they bring bad luck during the holiday.

Find out what animal zodiac are you below:

Good Luck Goldfish Craft  – compliments of Familyfun.com

Prep Time: Afternoon or Evening
What you need:
	Tissue paper Goldfish template Plastic wrap Glue Scissors
Seasons: New years, Winter
Materials: glue, tissue paper
Instructions:
1.	To make one, first draw a large goldfish outline with a 1/2-inch-thick border on an 8 1/2- by 11-inch sheet of colored card stock and cut it out. (You can also print a template.)
2.	For the scales, fold a 1- by 6-inch strip of colored tissue paper in half 3 times. Leaving the folded sides uncut, trim the paper into a crescent shape, then unfold the paper for a chain of colorful, wavelike shapes. Repeat with as many colors as you like.
3.	Next, tape a large piece of plastic wrap to your work surface and slip the fish outline underneath it. Use a paintbrush to spread white glue onto the wrap. Lay the tissue paper strips vertically over the fish, trimming them as needed, overlapping them and alternating colors for a vibrant mix of scales. Gently brush more glue over the tissue paper strips once they’re in place.
4.	When you’ve covered the fish, remove the outline from beneath the plastic and set it in place atop the scales. Add more glue for a stronger hold, if necessary. Let the glue dry overnight, then trim the excess tissue paper and plastic wrap from around the fish and hang it in a window.

Lindsey Bergman is an ordinary 10 year old girl living with her family, best friend, bullies,  her lazy Uncle Bernie, and her cute little dachshund named Mr. Tiny.   She is a sweet girl who loves helping people.  In this story, She plays matchmaker with her two teachers Mr. Pingler and Miss Kinney.  She saves a girl named April from being bullied by two bullies and becomes friends with her.  Her uncle stays to live with her, she get accused of a crime because she put smiley face stickers on the neighborhood garbage cans, and last but not least her dog  Mr. Tiny goes missing!  Her brother Ethan and her Mother are trying to plan Ethan’s bar mitzvah.  I recommend this book if you really want to have a big, happy laugh.  This was one awesome book!

I give this book

Lindsey, written by Chryssa Atkinson

Arianna and I love baking especially during the holidays.  We are always in search of new cool recipes and ideas.    We came across this recipes which we are excited to try out and share with you.  We also want to thank AllRecipes staff for sharing.   What we found exciting, is that it’s a great replacement for cards and candies.  What a fun project for mom and her real american girl. 

Checkout the video on how they tweak the original recipes.

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Baking-Kids-Valentines-Day-Treats-Video/detail.aspx

Prep Time: 35 Min / Cook Time:  7 Min /  Ready In: 2 Hrs 42 Min

 

One of the volunteers, came out with a box and to our amazement, there were over 350 adorable baby sea turtles.  Everyone who participated had to rub their hands in sand before taking a baby sea turtle.  As we all stood facing the ocean, everyone placed a baby sea turtle on the sand.   We watch these beautiful creatures crawl slowly in to the huge body of water.  Although, some did need coaching.  

You must be wondering, where are all these baby sea turtles come from?  The mother sea turtles return to the beach and lay their eggs, roughly 50 to 200 eggs.  Everyday eggs are hatched and they cover their eggs in the sand and return back to sea.  That is were the organization come in.  Volunteers from the organization carefully retrieves the eggs and once they are hatched, they are returned to sea.  The female sea turtles will hopefully return to the exact location where they were led to sea and hatch their eggs.     Amazing,  isn’t it?

Mexico, one of the few countries where sea turtles find a safety haven return.  Thanks to theses  incredible people who are passionated and those eager to participate for an experience, a true National Geographic moment.

That evening, we walked away with a sense of an incredible respect for nature and proud to be part of this beautiful, exciting and  captivating experience.  We wonder upon our next return to Nuevo Vallarta, if one of those mommy Sea Turtles were released as babies from us.

Here are some helpful tips that you can contribute here in the states:

• Never buy a turtle or tortoise,  it will only increase the demand from the wild.
• Adopt from a rescue group
• Don’t take turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.
• If they are crossing a busy street, pick them up and send them in the same direction they were going; if you try to make them go back, they will turn right around again.
• Write letters to your legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off-road vehicles.
• Report cruelty or illegal sales of turtles and tortoises to your local animal control department, such as Fish & Game or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
• Report any turtle or tortoise of any kind less than four inches in size being sold at pet stores or mercado i.e.  market, ”supermercado” or supermarket.  This practice is illegal everywhere in the U.S. 

Here are just a few cute items in our store that are pet related.

These adorable soft plush furry slippers are too cute to pass. 

This backpack is not only soft but the puppy plush is a must have.  Puppy is cuddly soft and easily detaches from backpack. 

And for the kitty cat lovers, here’s one of Arianna’s favorite

Whimisical

Table & Chair set

A great tween gift, whose passion is horses

This month we are running an essay contest and there will be 3 winners. One from each age category listed below.

We  want to hear you, Real American Girls.  Write an essay “Why My Pet is the Best in the World”  If you do not have a pet,   “Why you would want a pet and why it would be the best in the world”.

There will be one winner from each age group.
5 thru 7
8 thru 10
11 thru 14

Participants who wish to enter must submit their essay to mail@mypinkplanet.com   Submission must include your name, age and state.    You may also submit photos of your favorite pet and it may be posted on our blog.   Deadline for your essay to be recieved is no later than February 14th midnight.   Winners will be announced on February 17th on the blog.   Winner, must return to the blog to claim their prize.   Don’t forget to mark your calendar.   Bookmark us http://www.mypinkplanetblog.com

Winners will recieve this beautiful Pink Petal Fairy Costume
includes:
Pink petal fairy dress
Pink ribbon flower headband

Hugs and good luck!

American Girl is giving a free goody bag to the first 100 girls in line starting  January 1, 2010 continuing that weekend.  During this weekend there will be great activities such as hands on crafts and fun prizes and best an introduction to the new GOTY.  Check out the location nearest you:

Event details by store

• Atlanta: January 1
• Boston: January 1
• Chicago: January 1
• Dallas: January 1
• Los Angeles: January 1
• Minneapolis: January 1
• New York: January 1

Get to Meet the Author Jane Kurtz, the award-winning author of our Girl of the Year 2010 books.  Here is your chance if possible to meet her in person and have your book signed.  This event is free and open to the public at the locations listed.

For a limited time, My Pink Planet.com is offering Free Shipping.  Spend $75 or more on selected store categories within store and receive free shipping.  You must enter the promo code FRSHIP75 at checkout.    The selected categories are:

• 15 inch doll clothes
• 18 inch doll clothes
• Doll Accessories
• Doll Shoes & Sock
• Doll Jewelry
• Sale
• Girl’s Novelties

Hey girls,  get your letters out to Santa soon.  Here’s his direct address.

Santa Claus

One Santa Claus Lane

North Pole,  Alaska  99705 

For you girls living in the Denver, Colorado area or nearby, great news!    American Girl is opening their 8th store. The new location will take place at Park Meadows mall in south Denver area.   Anticipated  grand opening date shoots for spring of 2010.

Back in August, I spoke to you about the next GOTY doll for 2010. We learned that the author Jane Kurtz has written a book and preorders on to books were available on Amazon.  Ms. Kurtz’s childhood in eastern Ethopia and based on her previous books in which she  primarily writes books about African American children.  We have come to a conclusion that the next GOTY will be African American.    

The lastest news we heard and thanks Maria for the tip is her first name to be “LANIE”   The books titles  are “Lanie’s Real Adventure”  and “Lanie”  There is still no pics on the cover of the books.

Arianna did some research on the name and came across with 2 origins,  Greek and French.  They both had the same meaning, Torch; bright light.

I will keep you posted on any new information that comes up.  Also if you come  across any info, drop us a line.

I bet Arianna and I are not alone felling a bit anxious for a peek on Lanie. 

I like to share these hot items among tweens.

These Diaries are ROCKIN with tweens they are available in these cool designs.  They all come with a cool lock and key.  The autograph Tee Shirt are exciting among the girls.  Available in Birthday  and Tattoo.  They come with a marker for girls to fun personalizing.  Great for parties and sleepovers.    Check out this Floral Peace ribbed tank is gorgeous and vibrant in colors.  

 Another hit is the lap desk.  They come in fabulous designs.  Girls love them!  Perfect for long drives, homework, watching a movie or even for those lazy days in bed.   

For the designer in you, Project runway allows your creativity on paper and watch those designer outfits roll.     Love Bling?  Here’s an exciting project, create a wall art, there’s 4 designs to choose from or select all and create a beautiful collage on your wall to admire.   These are all available at My Pink Planet.com

Hi!  from Arianna,   I just wanted to share with you my dolls for Halloween!!!   I had so much fun dressing them up!  I did funky,  fancy, and simple hair dos.  Kit is in the Flapper outfit and I think she looks sooo cute!!  Kailey is an enchanting  ballerina.   Nellie in her 50’s poodle skirt outfit.  Mia is Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  Gwen is Little Red Riding hood which I think she looks beautiful in that costume.   Rebecca’s is stunning in as a Ice Skater.  My mom did Rebecca’s hair and it looks awesome,  doesn’t it?  Also,  Nicki is a surfer gal with snorkel.   Felicity is in a “Boo!” sweater that my mom’s friend bought me.  Last but not least,  Bitty Baby is in a Lion costume.  She is also wearing a halloween bib that was mine when I was a baby.  She looks so cute!!   Bella is just witchy in her gorgeous witch costume.    Bella and I will be out trick o treating.   I am dressing up as a funky witch.  Leave us a comment, let us know what your dolls are for Halloween.  Stay tuned for more updates on our blog,  see ya until then!!

With Halloween a month away, have you considered what you and your favorite  American girl will be for Halloween?  Here are some ideas.   For all you Mary Poppins fans, this gorgeous outfit, details and craftmanship is amazing.

How about a Royal Bride

or one of Disney favorite princess
Mulan Snow White

A favorite for Bitty Baby

Share with us what you doll is gonna be, drop us a line.

Summer is gone and many of us are bummed.  I know my daughter and I are.  It seemed it went so quickly and not to mentioned it was a wet one for many of us in the east coast but as Fall begins on September 22 at exactly 5:18 pm EDT.   I am sort of looking forward to Autumn.  Reminiscing of the beautiful foliage in vibrant colors of red, purple, green, yellow and orange.   The scent of warm apples and cinnamon in the air.  Cozy sweater days by the fireplace or a late night roasting marshmellows and making yummy smores at the fire pit and and admiring the stars with family and friends.   Kid’s laughter and grasping apples off the trees and pumpkin picking.   Share with us what are your favorite fall moments.

Checkout these fabulous tween bedding designed elaborately by Majaneo a company which consists of famous worldwide designers.   They are devoted on creating high quality designer bedding.  Their label,  Blancho , presents floral and diversified patterns in bright vibrant colors.  All of their products are made of certified U.S. organic 100% cotton fabric, and the patterns are printed by using environment-friendly dyes.  Their sets consist of Duvet cover, hemmed european style pillowcase and fitted sheet with concealed elastic band to firmly wrap the overall corner of the mattress, to avoid displacement and extending the pocket size of the fitted sheet to 14″  to fit most mattresses.  Available in twin, full, queen and king  and sold at My Pink Planet.com.

 As for material, 100% combed cotton; 200 thread count (warp & weft: 128 x 86); yarn count: 40 x 40 cotton yarns.  The fabric density of our 100% cotton 200 thread count bedding products EQUALS to the density of most 100% cotton 300+ thread count bedding products in US.

pink yellow flower teaset for A G doll

Teal Teaset for American Girl Doll

Blue White Teaset for A G Doll

Here are some great tea party sandwich recipes: 

Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwich

1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced (about 32 slices)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, rinsed, spun dry, and chopped fine
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
16 slices best-quality white bread*
Salt to taste

* Choose the best-quality white or wheat bread as possible. Never serve end slices. Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.

 Tomatoe Cream Cheese Sandwiches

3 ripe tomatoes

Cream cheese whipped

Whole wheat bread

Spread whipped cream cheese on bread.  Place slice of tomatoes, top with another slice of bread.   Trim cust and cut into triangles.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Jif peanut butter

Smuckers Grape jam

Whole wheat bread

Spread peanuter butter and layer with jam, top with another slice of bread.    Trim off crust and cut into quarters  OR use decoatrtive mini cookie cuters in differemnt design for a whimiscal effect.

Place cucumber slices between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.

In a small bowl, combine mint, butter, and cream cheese; spread on one side of each slice of bread. Lay cucumber slices onto the buttered side of 8 slices of bread. Sprinkle with salt. Top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.

Carefully cut the crusts from each sandwich with a long, sharp knife. Cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again. Decorative shapes can be made with cookie cutters.

 Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

8 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
20 slices best-quality white bread

** * Choose the best-quality white or wheat bread as possible. Never serve end slices. Freezing the bread before cutting and then spreading makes for easier handling.

Peel eggs and place into a medium bowl. Slice eggs and then coarsely mash them with the back of a fork. Add mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and dill; stir until well blended. NOTE: This mixture can be refrigerated, covered, up to two days.

Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Spread the buttered side of 10 slices of bread with 2 tablespoons egg mixture. Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.

Carefully cut the crusts from sandwich with a long, sharp knife. Cut in half diagonally, then cut in half again. If desired, decorative shapes can be made with cookie cutters.

Glenda the Witch

 We went to see Wicked the Musical and it was FANTASTIC!  A prequel to America’s Classic The Wizard of Oz.    The performers superb vocal talents were phenomenal.    The costume and stage settings was colorful and breath taking not to mention the flying monkeys.  

The story unfolds the early life of Glenda the witch of the north who was glamorous, Ms. Popular, annoying but funny.  Elphaba, the wicked witch who was green from head to toe.  Everyone feared her because of her looks and was ridicule in school.  She was actually a warm, caring, funny and an extremely like able character.   Yes, I said it , I actually liked her.  She was nothing as I believe  or should I say WE all believe  she was.   Glenda and Elphaba met in sorcery school, where they were pretty much force to be roommates.   Ironically they loathe each other, they later learn to become best of friends.  

Elphaba, is later betrayed by the wizard and Madame Morrible who sends false information about her evilness and  wickedness to the folks at oz.   I won’t go into anymore details as for I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone who decides to see this play which I truly recommend.

Arianna & Alexa

Arianna and my niece Alexa were in awe throughout the performance.  We agree it was the best play we have seen.

Elphaba the witch

Elphaba at SchoolGlenda & ElphabaGlenda & Elephaba

Arianna & Ancient Tribeswoman

Weird and unusual finds at Ripley’s believe it or not.

Arianna's head in a jar

This was interesting and creative. A portrait of President Barack Obama , made of nearly 13,000 gumballs.

This albino giraffe is one of 3 found in Zimbabwe, Africa

Check out these googly eyes

Here’s a cool way for your kids to earn money. KidzEyes.com is an online survey panel where kids can tell the companies that make products and services for them how they look through kids’ eyes and be rewarded for it. They are a panel of an online community of kids aged 6-12 who have agreed to participate in surveys with the child’s parents or guardians consent to participate. Kidz will be asked about things like TV shows for kids, movies, Web sites, snack foods, music, clothes, sports, video games and other things that kids are interested in.